Duane Albert Bartsch

Bartsch, Duane Albert 85 May 23, 1927 April 09, 2013 Duane Albert Bartsch passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 in the loving arms of his wife and daughter. He is survived by his wife, Elaine; sons, Rick and Scott; daughter, Debra Bergerson; grandchildren, Tom, Craig, Luke, Annie, Kedric and Destiny; as well as three great-grandchildren, Cody, Layla and Natalie. He was preceeded in death by his daughter, Joan Thomas in 1979; mother, Dora Niederbaumer in 1997; and brother, Vernon in 2005. Born in Cresbard, S.D. in 1927, Duane grew up on the family farm, was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church and served in the United States Navy during WWII. Upon discharge, he attended Willamette University where he met his future wife, Elaine. He went on to graduate from the University of Washington in 1951 with a Bachelor's in Business Administration and upon graduation, married Elaine Cloudy Hannah. He then went to work for the West Coast Lumbermans Association in Portland and attended night classes at the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, where he graduated and was admitted to the Oregon State Bar in 1958. Duane lived in Portland with his loving family and practiced law for over 50 years. He was admitted as a member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. in 1969. He was a faithful member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church for over 60 years and served as member of the Board of Directors, Northwest District Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for 13 years. In addition, he was a founding member of the Concordia University Foundation, Portland. He enjoyed hunting and fishing from the Dakotas to Alaska, digging razor clams in the Pacific Northwest, cooking ole family favorites and tending to his beloved rose garden and tomatoes. He looked forward to family road trips, relaxing days at "the cabin" and wouldn't miss his daily crossword. He was also known for his homemade Christmas candy, dunk, chex mix and the best hugs ever. A great sports fan, "Pops" passed his love for the Blazers onto the entire family. He was always good for a laugh, a great story teller and a fount of knowledge with regard to his family history. In addition to "Dad", he was also affectionately known as "Grandpa", "Unc" and some even knew him as "Bartak". With faith and family as his foundation, Duane Bartsch was always there. A memorial service was held Saturday, April 13, 2013 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Donations to his memory may be made to Holy Cross Lutheran Church or Concordia College.